The Nameless Castle eBook

“Oh, well, your reverence, instead of the speech,
I will listen to your sermons on Sundays. I intend
to become a very zealous member of your congregation.”

“And this, your ladyship,” continued the
master of ceremonies, “is Dr. Philip Tromfszky,
resident physician of Fertoeszeg, who is celebrated
not only for his surgical and medical skill, but is
acknowledged here, as well as in Raab, Komorn, Eisenburg,
and Odenburg, as the greatest gossip and news dispenser
in the kingdom.”

“A most excellent accomplishment!” laughingly
exclaimed the baroness. “I am devoted to
gossip; and I shall manage to have some ailment every
few days in order to have the doctor come to see me!”

Then came the surveyor’s turn.

“This, your ladyship, is Herr Martin Doboka,
county surveyor and expert mathematician. He
will measure for you land, water, or fog; and if your
watch stops going, he will repair it for you!”

“And who may this be?” smilingly inquired
the lady, indicating the vice-palatine’s assistant,
who had thrust his long neck inquisitively forward.

“Oh, he is n’t anybody!” replied
the vice-palatine. “He is never called
by name. When you want him just say: ‘Audiat!’
He is one of those persons of whom Cziraky said:
’My lad, don’t trouble yourself to inquire
where you shall seat yourself at table; for wherever
you sit will always be the lowest place!’”

This anecdote caused “Audiat” to draw
back his head and seek to make himself invisible.

“And now, I must present myself: I am the
vice-palatine of this county, and am called Bernat
Goeroemboelyi von Dravakeresztur.”

“My dear sir!” ejaculated the baroness,
laughing heartily, “I could n’t commit
all that to memory in three years!”

“That is exactly the way your ladyship’s
name affects me!”

“Then I will tell you what we will do.
Instead of torturing each other with our unpronounceable
names, let us at once adopt the familiar ‘thou,’
and call each other by our Christian names.”

“Yes; but when I enter into a ‘brotherhood’
of that sort, I always kiss the person with whom I
form a compact.”

“Well, that can also be done in this instance!”
promptly responded the baroness, proffering, without
affectation of maidenly coyness, the ceremonial kiss,
and cordially shaking hands with the vice-palatine.
Then she said:

“We are now Bernat bacsi, and Katinka;
and as that is happily arranged, I will ask the gentlemen
to go into the agent’s office and conclude our
official business. Meanwhile, I shall make my
toilet for dinner, where we will all meet again.”

“What a perfectly charming woman!” exclaimed
the justice, when their hostess had vanished from
the room.

“I wonder what would happen,” observed
the doctor, with a malicious grin, “if the vice-palatine’s
wife should hear of that kiss? Would n’t
there be a row, though!”